BOZEMAN, Mont. – It didn't take long for the Montana State University Billings track and field team to crack open the record books on Saturday as the Yelllowjackets competed at the Bobcat Preview in Bozeman, Mont.
 
"We had a lot of stellar performances today," head coach Jonathan Woehl said after the meet. "I am really proud of the way everybody competed today. It was great to see Nels and Sam improve their records and have everybody else either set or get close to their personal bests."
 
In the first event of the season, Nels Flanagan improved on his school record with a weight throw measuring 54'-8" placing second behind Montana State's Calvin Root. Fellow throwers, Beau Peaslee and Brady Ostermiller each set personal records in the weight throw with a marks of 48'-8" and 44'-9" respectively. Kassadee Kuoha and Hailey Steinbeisser also got in on the action with personal bests of 46'-5" and 42'-4" leading the 'Jackets' women squad while placing second and third.
 
Sam Zook broke his own 60-meter indoor record with a time of 6.78, shaving seven hundredths of a second off of his previous mark 6.85. The time is tied for the second fastest 60 in GNAC history and is just six-hundredth off the conference record of 6.72. Zook was followed by MSUB freshman Lamont Frisby (6.96) as the 'Jackets finished first and second in the final.
 
Mason Schram had a strong debut on Saturday as he set a personal-best 6.99 in the 60-meter and finished fourth. Beau Ackerman recorded a 7.27 to set a new personal best and finish ninth.
 
Frisby had the 'Jackets top time in the 200-meter finishing with a time of 23.03 in fourth place. Rhakei Eyer was the 'Jackets sole representative in the 400-meter finishing in third place 51.52. Kaelen Shay posted a 7.22 in the 60-meter and a 23.76 in the 200-meter while Nate Vanderby clocked a 7.59 and a 24.13 in the same events.
 
Freshmen Drake Henson, Carson Jessop and Jack Pickell teamed up with Ronald Venema to compete in the 4x400-meter relay with a final time of 3:52.66.
 
The women's sprint squad was paced by Jewlz Collins who recorded personal bests in both the 60 and 200-meter with times of 8.33 and 27.33 respectively. Michaela Johnson finished seventh in the 200-meter in a time of 27.94. Josey Smiedala finished sixth in the 400-meter clocking in at 1:02.99.
 
Collins led off and Smiedala anchored the MSUB 4x400 relay that placed second with Brenna Beckett and Myhia Metzenberg running the second and third leg of the 4:19.76 time. Jerrica Martin, Miranda Livingston, Rachel Hiner and Sarah Beatty finished their 4x400 with a time of 4:46.42.
 
Halie Warren jumped 1.48 meters in the high jump falling just short of her best height 1.50. Becket and Shanniah Schwend landed half-an-inch apart in the long jump with Beckett landing 4.83 meters compared to Schwend's 4.82. Beckett led the 'Jackets in the triple jump as well, recording a distance of 10.54 meters followed by Schwend at 10.24 meters.
 
Marcus Lindquist was the lone jumper for the men's squad as the sophomore set a new high mark with a triple jump of 13.42 meters. He finished seventh with a long jump of 6.21 and ran a 7.60 in the 60-meter.
 
"Marcus had a really strong day," Woehl noted. "He was excited to set his new collegiate best and I think he is primed for a good season."
 
In the hurdles, Michaela Johnson finished just one one-hundredth behind second place with a time of 9.37 in the 60-meter final. Dillon Gongliewski clocked a 9.61 in the 60-meter hurdles for the men.
 
In the 800-meter, Kyle McLaughlin led the MSUB middle distance group with a time of 2:09.40 followed by Venema at 2:10.16. Pickell finished the 800-meter in 2:25.56. For the women, it was Catrina Schuchard's 2:37.00 leading MSUB with Miranda Livingston finishing in 2:45.18.
 
Schuchard was also the top finisher in the mile for the Yellowjackets posting a 6:09.51 ahead of Kateri Bridges' 6:29.06. Venema recorded a 4:48.55 in the mile while Pickell clocked in at 5:13.15.
 
Nikki Aiken cut nearly four minutes off of her previous best in the indoor 5,000-meter finishing the race in 19:41.90. For the men, it was Jorey Egeland (15:35.97) at the front of the 5,000-meter followed by Tyus Mendoza (16:09.77) and Carson Jessop (17:09.58).
 
In the ring, Hannah Nessan had a nice college debut in the shot put with a distance of 35'-10". Abbie Lohof record a 33'-1" toss in the shot just short of Steinbeisser's 34'-11" mark. Haylee Koon and Taylor Stringari recorded marks of 32'-10" and 32'-7" respectively.
 
Stringari posted a 39'-7" distance in the weight throw followed by Nessan (37'-5"), Lohof (34'-10") and Koon (33'-7").
 
Ostermiller was the top performer of MSUB's shot put group with a 47' toss landing him fifth. Forest Cross had good showings in both the shot (42'-1") and the weight throw (37'-7"). Peaslee (40') and Ackerman (34'-7") rounded out the 'Jackets performance in the shot put.
 
The Yellowjackets will be back in Bozeman for their next meet on Friday, January 12 as the team trains through final and winter break. All times and scores are posted via the Track and Field Results Reporting System.